Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

No Evil Shall Escape My Sight

    From another skyscraper across the street, a sniper rifle fires right at Green Lantern. The masked hero throws up an energy shield, and the bullet shatters against the shield, the impact failing to even make a dent. The female superhero throws down several marbles that burst out a dark smoke, concealing the both of them as the front door of the apartment bursts open, and multiple armed police officers swarm the room. Shining their flashlights through the smoke and stepping over the bodies of the fallen robbers, the officers scan the room.

"Search for the targets. They have to be here somewhere. Someone guard the door," one of the officers directs, speaking through a heavy face guard.

One of the police officers reaches the end of the room, near the broken window where Green Lantern had smashed through, and he looks downwards.

"There! Below!"

The other officers race to the edge to find the female superhero scaling down the skyscraper, using the rope from her grappling gun.

"It's the Trickstress!" another officer shouts.

She looks up at the officers as they aim their guns at her. Her expression hidden by her mask, she waits only a moment before releasing the grappling gun, launching herself off of the brick wall, free-falling to the streets below. However, she doesn't fall for long before she becomes encased in a green bubble of energy, holding her afloat in mid-air. A trail of energy connects the bubble to Green Lantern's ring, as he soars through the air.

"Citizens! Officers! Please, remain calm! We mean no harm to you!" Green Lantern declares, "I am simply in search of a yellow ring-"

"You and every thief in this town, buck!" Detective Bullock cries from one of the cop cars below.

From the skyscraper apartment, the cops start shooting their handguns and pistols at Green Lantern. The sniper on the rooftop opposite them also fires another shot. Green Lantern puts up a giant barrier on both sides, but his shields start to weaken under the repeated fire.

"Can't we all just sit down and have a civil conversation?" Green Lantern grumbles under his breath.

From inside her energy bubble, the Trickstress shrugs, "The GCPD is very much 'shoot first, ask questions later' when it comes to us costumed freaks."

Green Lantern's confident expression suddenly turns sour as he scowls, "I am not a 'costumed freak'! I'm a superhero! I stand for everything that is good and just-"

One of Green Lantern's shields cracks under the pressure of the GCPD officers' bullets, and Green Lantern winces, a single bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"Well, we're not going to be standing at all if we don't get out of here, and fast!" the Trickstress counters.

Releasing his shields, Green Lantern flies off, the Trickstress in her suspension bubble in tow. The Green Lantern easily outspeeds the GCPD helicopter following them, and the two of them disappear among the glut of city skyscrapers.

    Green Lantern and I land in a deserted side alleyway. With the flick of his ring finger Green Lantern causes the bubble of energy around me to disappear without a trace.

"What is it with this town? Haven't they heard of me at all? Green Lantern, famed superhero of Coast City?" Green Lantern scratches the back of his neck with confusion.

"Gotham and Coast City are two very different places," I explain, "we read about a flying man from outer space and believe he's nothing more than another petty jewel thief."

Green Lantern takes this into consideration, his speech slowly slightly, "Well, I guess you could be right. After all, before I was bestowed the powers of the Green Lantern ring I was just an average, ordinary citizen-"